The role of blood cell morphology in understanding and diagnosing severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS): Insights from a case report.

Rationale: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne zoonotic disease characterized by a high fatality rate of 12% to 15%. Despite hematologic abnormalities being frequently reported in SFTS patients, detailed characterization of peripheral blood cells, especially in severe cases, is scarce. This case report aims to fill this gap by describing the unique morphological features of blood cells in a patient with a severe outcome.